Healing is what happens when Pastoral Practitioners minister, enabling people to receive restoration to health of body and mind through God's great love and mercy. This restoration of health is part of what is meant by the "abundant life" which the Lord promised.

Hunger 'links asthma and obesity'

Tuesday, 17 July 2007

Researchers say they may have worked out why the obese are more prone to
asthma than those of normal weight.

The link between the two conditions is well-established, but the relationship
is ill-understood.

Now scientists at King's College London say they have pinned down a protein
which contributes to inflammation of the lungs as well as increasing hunger.

The study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences said further
research was now needed.

Mechanism mystery

The researchers investigated molecules produced by Th2 cells - specialised
cells belonging to the immune system which can inflame the lungs and contribute
to the development of asthma.

But these cells also produce a protein known as PMCH which is known to
increase appetite.

"These findings may provide a mechanistic link between allergic
inflammation, asthma and obesity," the researchers wrote.

Several European and American studies have found a link between obesity and
asthma which cannot be explained by weight gain brought on by the inactivity
asthma encourages. In many cases, the obesity precedes the asthma.

One study of 330,000 patients published earlier this year found that for
every normal weight person with asthma, there were 1.5 who were overweight or
obese.

The latter category effectively ran a 50% greater risk of developing the
condition.

However, people with asthma are not always obese, so the lead researcher of
this latest study, Dr David Cousins, said further investigation was needed into
possible genetic variations of PMCH, the gene known to boost appetite.

Dr David Haslam of the National Obesity Forum said that from the obesity
perspective, the research was interesting although as yet there were no
therapeutic implications.

"Working out the mechanisms, the links between diseases is important,
and it adds to the growing body of evidence which gives obesity some form of
genetic basis."